Some Preliminary Thoughts on Divorce and Remarriage
Editor’s note: Baptist Bulletin ran a three article set on the topic of divorce and remarriage in the November/December 2020 issue. Below is the first, an introduction by the magazine’s managing editor.
By David Gunn
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What Does God Hate?
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“Marriage is not a picture of the Gospel when it is permanent. Marriage is permanent when it is a picture of the Gospel. A man physically, emotionally, spiritually or sexually abusing a woman (or child, or anyone) is preaching a FALSE GOSPEL.” - SBC Voices
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Defending the Biblical Doctrine of Marriage as Binding for the Church Today
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“The Mennonite Church, U.S.A. appears now to be in a similar situation to what the mainline denominations once were in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
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When May Christians Divorce?
Periodically, throughout the years, I’ve re-visited the “when can Christians legitimately divorce” issue. First time was before seminary, when someone asked me if she had biblical grounds to leave a spouse who beat her. Second time was at seminary, where I was taught the “only for adultery and desertion” approach. Third, fourth and fifth times have been over the past decade-ish, since I’ve been a pastor.
Well, I come before you to declare I’ve figured everything out …
Just kidding.
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Advice for leaders who counsel couples in crisis
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“In your counseling or supporting role, how do you offer help without becoming a part of the war or simply throwing up your hands in despair?” - The Exchange
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Mars, Venus ... and John Wayne?
The Church in America has had some interesting ideas about what roles within the marriage ought to look like. Some good. Some bad. Some … are just weird. We looked at the wife’s responsibilities in the last article. Now, we turn to the husbands.
Discussion
Mars, Venus ... and Eden?
If you’re a Christian who wants to think the right way about marriage, you’ll have to decide whether God has anything to say about roles of men and women … and whether you care.
Are male and female distinctions just learned behavior? Are there no bedrock differences? Good differences? Wholesome differences? Complementary differences? Is all this just socialization?
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John Piper: Christians who insist on marrying nonbelievers should be excommunicated
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“a Christian who moves ahead with the marriage despite the counsel of elders must be removed from church membership ‘to sober the disobedient believer, wake them up, and win them to a repentant and obedient heart and restoration.’” - CPost
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